Steam iron and filling device



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A. C. `HOECKER Filed March 31. 1948 July 26, 1955 STEAM IRON AND FILLINGDEVICE 25 'l/f /f FIG. l. /3

FIG. 5.

United States Patent O STEAM ERON AND FILLING DEWCE Albert C. Hoecker,St. Louis, Mo.

Application March 31, 1948, Serial No. 18,090

2 Claims. (Cl. 38-77) This invention relates to improvements in steamirons and more specifically to steam irons which can be kept in constantoperation without interfering with the normal steaming operation of theiron.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a steam iron withmeans for injecting water into the boiler Y* Fig. 5 is a side View ofthe iron and top view of the valve.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates theiron generally, and screwed or otherwise secured in the upper wall 13 ofthe boiler of the iron is a shell or plug 122 having a tapered opening123 which communicates with the interior of the boiler, and rotatablymounted in the opening 123 is a correspondingly tapered valve 125 havingprojecting members 128 for rotating the valve. The valve 125 is providedwith a longitudinal central opening which also communicates with theinterior of the boiler and acts as a passageway for the admission ofwater into the boiler. The central opening or passage-way in the lowerportion of the valve 125 is enlarged as indicated at 129, so as toprovide a Valve seat for the ball valve 132. The upper portion 131 ofthe valve 1 extends above the ball valve 132 and the central opening 130is adapted for the reception of the nozzle 137 to form a connectionbetween the valve and the pump 136. A plug 134 having a central opening135 communicating with the opening 129 in the valve 125 isscrew-threaded in the lower end of the valve and interposed and engagingthe ball valve 132 and plug 134 is a compression spring 133 for holdingthe valve in normal position on its seat. The lower part of the plug 134engages the lower part of the shell or plug 122 for holding the valve125 in rotatable position in the shell or plug 122. Extending throughthe wall of the shell or plug 122 and communicat ing with the opening129 below the ball Valve 132 is a water outlet 124 which registers witha water outlet 126 in the valve and both of said outlets extend abovethe boiler wall 13, so as to provide a water outlet for the water thatmay remain in the boiler after the ironing is completed. Obviously, theoutlets 124 and 126 must register or be in alignment when the boiler isbeing emptied of water, and closed when the iron is in operation. Toaccomplish the desired result the shell or plug 122 is provided with aslot 127 which cooperates with a pin 127 in the side of the valve toprovide a stop for the valve 125, when in closed, or open position.

The pump for filling the boiler consists of a cylinder 136, closed atboth ends, the upper end being closed by a removable head or cap 92, andin the cylinder 136 is a cup-shaped piston 87 secured to a piston rod 88by washers 89 and nuts 90, said rod extending through an opening 91 inthe cylinder head 92 and the upper end of the rod 88 is provided with aknob 93 for operating the piston. The lower end of the cylinder isprovided with a nozzle 137 which communicates with the interior of thecylinder, and slidably mounted on the nozzle 137 is a cup-shaped member138, having a cup-shaped rubber member 139 mounted therein, andinterposed between the cylinder 136 and the cup-shaped member 138 is aspring 140. lt will be noted that the spring 140 holds the cup-shapedrubber washer 139 against the upper portion 131 of the valve 125 therebysealing the opening around the nozzle 137, when the nozzle is insertedin the opening 130, when iilling the boiler with water. The cup-shapedmembers 13S and 139 are prevented from coming oit the nozzle 137 by thefriction of the rubber cup-shaped member 139 on the nozzle.

To operate the pump and with the pump detached from the valve 125 thenozzle 137 of the cylinder 136 is inserted in a container filled withwater and the knob 93 pulled outwardly until the piston S7 reaches thetop end of the cylinder 136, this will create a vacuum in the cylinder136 thereby filling the cylinder with water. When the cylinder is filledwith water, the nozzle 137 is inserted in the opening 130, in the valve125, as shown in Fig. l, the knob 93 is then forced downwardly causingthe cylinder also to be forced downwardly and causing the cupshapedrubber member 139 on the nozzle 137 to engage the part 131, furtherdownward movement of the cylinder will cause the tension of the spring140 to increase and force the rubber cup-shaped member against the part131 on the valve 125, sealing the opening around the nozzle 137 againstWater leakage. Further downward movement of the piston 87 and cylinder136 will cause the nozzle 137 to engage the ball valve 132, forcing theball oi its seat, causing the water within the cylinder 136 to iiowthrough the slots 141 in the lower end of the nozzle 137 and around theball valve 132 and through the opening in the plug 134 into the boiler.

After the boiler is iilled the pump cylinder 136 including the nozzle137, spring 140, cup-shaped members 138 and 139 are detached from theboiler. To remove or detach the pumping mechanism from the boiler it isonly necessary to grasp the cylinder 136 and lift the cylinder upwardlythereby pulling the nozzle 137 out of the opening 130 in the upperportion 131 of the valve 125, leaving the iron with a streamlinedsurface.

To empty the boiler of any water that may remain in the boiler after theironing is completed, it is only necessary to rotate the Valve 125 bythe projecting members 128 until the openings 124 and 126 are inalignment, as shown in Fig. 3. When the valve 125 is in the positionshown in Fig. 3 the iron is turned on its side causing the water in theboiler to flow through the opening 134 and out the openings 124 and 126.After the water is out of the boiler, the valve 125 is rotated until thevalve is in the position shown in Fig. 4 closing the outlet 126.

While I have illustrated what I believe to be preferred embodiments ofmy invention, it is obvious other modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof, and therefore the exact forms shownare to be taken as illustrative only, and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a steam iron having a steam boiler, and a fillerdevice, said device comprising a valve casing attached to said boilerand having a valve seat and an opening for the introduction of waterinto said boiler,

a valve in said casing and held against said seat by a spring, adetachable pump having a nozzle to be inserted in said opening to forcethe valve off said seat, and means for forcing the water in said pumppast said valve into said boiler.

2. The combination of a steam iron having a steam boiler, and a fillerdevice, a valve casing in said boiler, a check valve casing rotatablylocated in said rst mentioned casing, a passageway in said check valvecasing, a valve seated in the lower end of said passageway, means forholding said valve in seated position, a passageway through each of saidcasings on the side of said casings and extending above said boiler andbeneath said passageway valve, so that the water in the boiler can bedrained through said last mentioned passageways when the ironing iscompleted, and means on said check valve casing for moving said lastmentioned passageways in and out of registration, a pump cylinder havingnozzle at one end through which water is drawn into said cylinder, apiston in said cylinder having a rod secured thereto for forcing thewater out of said cylinder, means on said rod for manually operatingsaid piston, said nozzle slidably connected to said iirst mentionedpassageway to form a connection between said pump and said boiler fordirecting the water from said pump into said boiler and so said 4 pumpcan be quickly detached from said boiler after water from said pump hasbeen injected into said boiler.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS1,299,036 Rotnagle Apr. 1, 1919 1,459,662 Manzel June 19, 1923 1,593,791Butler July 27, 1926 1,596,182 Hooper Aug. 17, 1926 1,609,629 MurphyDec. 7, 1926 1,682,898 Fesler Sept. 4, 1928 1,711,905 Piquerez May 7,1929 1,830,480 Myers Nov. 3, 1931 1,843,568 Ledbetter Feb. 2, 19321,846,189 Downs Feb. 23, 1932 1,954,827 Newmark etal Apr. 17, 19342,222,305 Tricomi et al. Nov. 19, 1940 2,271,686 Fitzgerald Feb. 3, 19422,284,411 Fielding May 26, 1942 2,316,907 Wallace Apr. 20, 19432,328,327 Cobb Aug. 31, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 86,483 Sweden Tune 9, 1936

